A mystical experience, no matter what else, is a subjective occurrence in the psyche. However, when it appears in the psychoanalytic consulting room, its origin, content, and meaning are unknowable. Yet it is there in the room, and it must be addressed. It is not a minor illusion but rather one that requires attention as its occurrence may lead to a profound alteration of consciousness and, as Carl Jung suggests, a cure for neurosis. Leslie Stein interviewed twenty-nine mystics in order to understand the origin, progression, phasing, emotions, and individual variations of a mystical experience in order to make sense of how it should be addressed, the appropriate analytic attitude in the face of a mystery, the way to work with its content, and its psychological meaning. In doing so, he uncovered that there may be specific development markers that create a proclivity to be receptive to such an experience that has clinical significance for psychoanalysis.

'She can pick up personal facts impossible to fathom by deduction or guesswork.' JEANETTE WINTERSON 'A marvellous book.' DR EBEN ALEXANDER __________________________________ 'We all have psychic experiences in our lives that connect us to one another and to those we love on the Other Side. Not just once in a while, but all the time.' Laura Lynne Jackson has been receiving communications from the afterlife since she was a child. In The Light Between Us she takes us through her struggle to come to peace with her gift and use it to help others. Through her moving and uplifting stories of the people she has helped, Laura Lynne shares her knowledge of how to understand these messages of love, and how we can use those lessons to help us live more peacefully in the present. What The Light Between Us has meant to readers: 'A genuine and honest testimonial' 'This book has made me laugh, made me cry and make me think' 'I love this book. It really helps you realise that the ones we love are never far from us.' 'The stories are heartfelt and had me in tears towards the end' 'Very uplifting' 'It has given me so much comfort and understanding'

Why did so many Americans visit and write about, seances? What are the connections between the 'emergence' of spiritualism in 1848 and earlier kinds of supernatural phenomena? This book asks about the cultural and political meanings of spiritualism in the 19th century United States. In order to re-assess both transatlantic spiritualism and the culture in which it emerged, Bennett locates spiritualism within a highly technologized transatlantic capitalist culture. She argues that, through performances in which the dead speak through and to the living, white Americans' most profound anxieties about political and cultural dispossession, especially of Indians, are articulated.

In Lily Dale, New York, the dead don't die. Instead, they flit among the elms and stroll along the streets. According to spiritualists who have ruled this community for five generations, the spirits never go away--and they stay anything but quiet. Every summer twenty thousand guests come to consult the town's mediums in hopes of communicating with dead relatives or catching a glimpse of the future. Weaving past with present, the living with the dead, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Christine Wicker investigates the longings for love and connection that draw visitors to "the Dale," introducing us to a colorful cast of characters along the way--including such famous visitors as Susan B. Anthony, Harry Houdini, and Mae West. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, this honest portrayal shows us that ultimately it doesn't matter what we believe; it is belief itself that can transform us all.

Elizabethan England's most famous natural philosopher John Dee recorded his reflections on the natural world, the practice of natural philosophy, and the apocalypse in a series of conversations with angels, which have long been an enigmatic facet of his life and work. This book makes extensive use of Dee's library and annotations to clarify this mystery by providing a detailed analysis of these conversations. Professor Harkness contextualizes Dee's angel conversations within the natural, philosophical, religious, and social contexts of his time, arguing that the conversations represent a continuing development of John Dee's earlier concerns and interests. This book will appeal to those with an interest in the history of science, students of religion, and everyone who approaches the new millennium with a wary eye.

Discover your unique gifts and dare to be different with this companion study guide from #1 New York Times bestselling author and renowned Bible teacher, Joyce Meyer. God has given you gifts so you can fulfill His purpose for your life, but if you're like a lot of people, you may not have recognized your talents yet. Start asking God to show you something special about the way He's made you. To some people, He's given a very tender, compassionate heart, and some He has wired to lead others effectively. Others, He has given a gift of being able to communicate clearly, to teach, to make scientific discoveries, or to write beautiful music. Only you can discover all the dynamic gifts He's placed in you. God is never going to help you be anyone but yourself, so learn to become Authentically, Uniquely You with the practical teaching formats in this companion study guide. God loves you just as you are! Let Him use you, with all your strengths and weaknesses, and transform you from the inside out to do something powerful beyond your wildest dreams.

Renowned psychic and ghostbuster Katie Coutts really can talk to ghosts. In this book, she recounts her own ghostly experiences, with spine-tingling and often humorous case studies of notorious and not-so-notorious ghosts. She introduces to the ghosts she has known, from the phantom horseman to the ghost who made the bed! Contents: * Introduction Katie Coutts and her amazing paranormal work. * Katie's own encounters with ghosts, including the Germans soldiers who wouldn't go home and the car that moved by itself. * The ghostly experiences of some of her clients, such as the remorseful nun and the sister that never was. * Famous ghosts - Katie reinterprets many well-known ghost stories. * Ghost stories from readers of Katie's column in the Sun - the best 25 out of the thousands she has received.

This is a collection of compelling, true stories of after-death communication from the experiences of psychic medium Carole J. Obley. These inspiring examples open our hearts and minds by convincingly demonstrating how contact with the spirit world can be a catalyst in healing grief. We are uplifted and comforted by realizing that the challenges we face in life can be positively transformed by the magnificent strength of undying love.

Beastie [bee-stee]: The overarching spirit of any species of insect, reptile, bird, mammal, or mythical creature that exists or has ever existed; also known as an animal totem or spirit animal. "From an ancient perspective, everything-including all natural things, like rocks, flowers, trees, insects, birds, and mammals-is alive and infused with conscious energy or spirit," writes Sarah Seidelmann. If you're one of the many people looking to reconnect with the creativity, wisdom, and vital energy of the natural world, here is a fantastic guide for tapping into the power of animal totems, or "beasties." The Book of Beasties invites you to explore why certain animals show up in your life-and what teachings they may be trying to share. Packed with information, illustrations, and traditional and modern insights into the unique qualities of different beasties, The Book of Beasties teaches you about: * Guest Beasties: how certain beasties enter your life to give you messages or assistance you need just when you need them * Core Beasties: meet the guiding beasties who are your lifelong companions, friends, and helpers * Beastie Relationships: tips and techniques for deepening your relationship with beasties and becoming more receptive to their support * Beasties A-Z: an expansive compendium of individual beasties and their unique qualities-including bats, wolves, elephants, salmon . . . even unicorns and dragons! "A message brought by a beastie may be about beauty or family or work," teaches Sarah. "It might offer you guidance on a prickly problem. Or it might make you smile just when you need it." Whether you're a long-time shamanic practitioner or simply curious about what secret messages your favorite animal might have for you, The Book of Beasties is an ideal resource for discovering the wild and wonderful world of spirit animals.

Who are the ancient astronauts? Why did they first come to Earth? Why are they returning now? What part did they play in building the great monuments of antiquity? What part did they play in the formation of present and earlier civilizations? With what other beings do we share our universe? And where does the Earth fit into the cosmic scheme of things? Almost twenty years of experimental work with telepathy led to the "breakthrough" contact recorded in this book. The Ra Material is an account not only of the events leading up to this contact, but of over 200 pages of verbatim transcripts of each and every conversation!

One thousand years ago, in the valley of Kashmir, a great Tantric master named Kshemaraja wrote his masterpiece: the Pratyabhijnahrdayam, which means “The Essence of the Recognition Philosophy�. This text was a concise primer, written to introduce spiritual seekers to the Recognition philosophy in less formally philosophical, more approachable language. What Kshemaraja created turned out to be one of the world’s great spiritual masterpieces, breathtaking in its brevity but stunning in its power. It came to be considered equivalent to scripture itself by later generations, because of its undeniable inspiration. This book expounds the subtleties of this spiritual and philosophical classic. One of the most powerful and revelatory spiritual masterpieces of world history, the Pratyabhijnahrdayam is one of the primary sources for the study and practice of nondual Tantrik Yoga, and it has never been accurately translated or fully explained until now.

Originally published in 1974, Ritual in Industrial Society is based on several years' research including interviews and observations into the importance of ritual in industrial society within modern Britain. The book addresses how identity and meaning for people of all occupations and social classes can be derived through rituals and provides an expansive and diverse examination of how rituals are used in society, including in birth, marriage and death. The book offers an examination into the use of symbolic action in the body to articulate experiences which words cannot adequately handle and suggests that this enables modern men and women to overcome the mind-body splits which characterise modern technological society. In addition to this, the book examines ritual as a tool for articulating and sharing religious experiences, a point often overlooked by more intellectual approaches to religion in sociology. In addition to this, the book covers an exploration into ritual in social groups and how this is used to develop a sense of belonging among members. The book will be of interest to sociologists as well as academics of religion and theology, social workers and psychotherapists.

In Mystical Theology and Contemporary Spiritual Practice several leading scholars explore key themes within the Christian mystical tradition, contemporary and historical. The overall aim of the book is to demonstrate the relevance of mystical theology to contemporary spiritual practice. Attention is given to the works of Baron von Hugel, Vladimir Lossky, Margery Kempe, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Thomas Merton, and Francisco de Osuna, as well as to a wide range of spiritual practices, including pilgrimage, spiritual direction, contemplative prayer and the quotidian spirituality of the New Monasticism. Christian mystical theology is shown to be a living tradition, which has vibrant and creative new expressions in contemporary spiritual practice. It is argued that mystical theology affirms something both ordinary and extraordinary which is fundamental to the Christian experience of prayer.

Wonder and Skepticism in the Middle Ages explores the response by medieval society to tales of marvels and the supernatural, which ranged from firm belief to outright rejection, and asks why the believers believed, and why the skeptical disbelieved. Despite living in a world whose structures more often than not supported belief, there were still a great many who disbelieved, most notably scholastic philosophers who began a polemical programme against belief in marvels. Keagan Brewer reevaluates the Middle Ages' reputation as an era of credulity by considering the evidence for incidences of marvels, miracles and the supernatural and demonstrating the reasons people did and did not believe in such things. Using an array of contemporary sources, he shows that medieval responders sought evidence in the commonality of a report, similarity of one event to another, theological explanations and from people with status to show that those who believed in marvels and miracles did so only because the wonders had passed evidentiary testing. In particular, he examines both emotional and rational reactions to wondrous phenomena, and why some were readily accepted and others rejected. This book is an important contribution to the history of emotions and belief in the Middle Ages.

Enter the mystical and magical world of the internet sensation ME Pearl, the psychic squirrel deity, and her human mouthpiece Georgette, YouTube's famous "opossum lady." Pearl is a dead squirrel who knows everything. With the aid of her earthly mouthpiece Georgette Spelvin, Pearl has been sharing her psychic wisdom with her human disciples for years, delving into topics as varied and complex as love, money, work, health, and etiquette. Once hidden in the delightful corners of the internet for the canniest lurkers and most sacred seekers on the website MEPearl.com, Pearl's cosmology now comes to life in print for the first time ever, revealing for the masses the secret for everlasting happiness, in addition to a newly-unearthed trove of Pearl's bewitching, incisive, and illuminating advice that makes sense of every ancient-and current-mystery. With the same "delightfully peculiar" (New York magazine) flair that has made Pearl and Georgette sensations online and had videos of them featured on shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Pearls of Wisdom welcomes readers into the bewildering and addictive world of ME Pearl-one rife with Jackie O. glamour, David Lynch lunacy, marsupial melodrama, and psychedelic spirituality. Proffering new insights on everything from wildlife to the afterlife, Pearls of Wisdom is a true sacred text for the internet age-if not eternity.

An examination of the public fascination with spiritualism and psychical research in Britain from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The book explores the variety of social background, education, and professional expertise that characterized the men and women who attended seances and investigated psychic phenomena, and places them in the context of their times without ridiculing their beliefs.

"For sheer publishing courage and imagination, what can surpass...The Classics of Western Spirituality (TM)?" Publishers Weekly "...of fundamental importance to any student or scholar interested in the development and dimensions of the religious ideas and experiences of man." Mircea Eliade Native Meso-American Spirituality Ancient Myths, Discourses, Stories Doctrines, Hymns, Poems from the Aztec, Yucatec, Quiche- Maya and Other Sacred Traditions edited with a foreword, introduction and notes by Miguel Leon-Portilla, preface by Fernando Horcasitas How has your heart decided, Giver of Life? Withhold your displeasure; Grant you compassion, I am at your side, you are God. The Sage King Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) This volume presents a carefully edited and translated collection of Pre-Columbian ancient spiritual texts. It presents relevant examples of those sacred writings of the indigenous peoples of Central America, especially Mexico, that have survived destruction. The majority of texts were conceived in the 950-1521 A.D. period. Their authors were primarily anonymous sages, priests and members of the ancient nobility. Most were written in Nahuath (also known as Aztec or Mexican), in Yucatec and Quiche-Maya languages. This volume has been edited by Miguel Leon-Portilla of the Institute of Historical Research at the National University of Mexico. Dr. Leon-Portilla in his introduction says: "These Native American Classics of Spirituality when properly dealt with are no longer to be regarded as alien in the sense that there cannot exist a consubstantial bridge between them and the spiritual masters of the West....A realm of unsuspected wisdom will then begin to manifest itself." Fernando Horcasitas in his fine Preface calls on the reader to become "captured by the beauty of the lines" and to leave his mind "less cluttered with stereotypes" of the native American. He suggests opening the book at random to find "verses here and there, composed in the night, in the wind, that will bring ease to his heart as he walks between the abyss on one side and the ravine on the other. And those who are weary of all the conflicting elements in our present realities, who long to shatter 'this sorry state of things entire', will find heart if they can get a glimmering-even though it be faint-of the jade and turquoise the Indian poet sought and found in his songs."

“The most profound truth in the universe is this: that we are all one drum and we need each other.� —Richard Wagamese, One Drum Fans of Richard Wagamese’s writing will be heartened by the news that the bestselling author left behind a manuscript he’d been working on until shortly before his death in 2017. One Drum welcomes readers to unite in ceremony to heal themselves and bring harmony to their lives and communities. In One Drum, Wagamese wrote, “I am not a shaman. Nor am I an elder, a pipe carrier, or a celebrated traditionalist. I am merely one who has trudged the same path many of this human family has—the path of the seeker, called forward by a yearning I have not always understood.� One Drum draws from the foundational teachings of Ojibway tradition, the Grandfather Teachings. Focusing specifically on the lessons of humility, respect and courage, the volume contains simple ceremonies that anyone anywhere can do, alone or in a group, to foster harmony and connection. Wagamese believed that there is a shaman in each of us, and we are all teachers and in the world of the spirit there is no right way or wrong way. Writing of neglect, abuse and loss of identity, Wagamese recalled living on the street, going to jail, drinking too much, feeling rootless and afraid, and then the feeling of hope he gained from connecting with the spiritual ways of his people. He expressed the belief that ceremony has the power to unify and to heal for people of all backgrounds. “When that happens,� he wrote, “we truly become one song and one drum beating together in a common purpose—and we are on the path to being healed.�

Betty Shine has spent a lifetime as a healer, giving her a unique insight into everybody's needs and helping her to influence people to be free spirits.But Betty's abilities have also allowed her to strike up the most amazing rapport with animals. She has a remarkable collection of stories to tell of how she has communicated with and healed dogs, cats and horses, how she has found lost pets, saved game birds from slaughter, and even been able to protect people halfway round the world from attack by wild dogs. She also has incredible success with plants, and has cleared insect infestations with the power of thought.Written in the intimate and conversational style of her previous books, this new examination of the power of the mind will be welcomed by both her devoted readers and anyone who has a desire to make our world a better place.

In the twenty-five years that Betty Shine has studied Mind Energy, the force that she herself discovered, the world of science has grown up. But scientists always make the same mistake: they fail to distinguish between the physical grey matter, the Brain, and the wonderful source of life itself, the Mind.

'The Infinite Mind' presents the proof for the existence of the Mind independent of the biological functions of the Brain. Drawing on a wide range of remarkable personal; stories about survival evidence and contact with coma patients, including those involving celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and football, Betty Shine's irrefutable evidence and observations will inspire individuals from all walks of life to re-examine their beliefs.

''Betty is funny and warm, and there is nothing superhuman about her manner. But some of the things she takes for granted would send shivers down the normal spine.''
ANGELA LEVIN, 'Daily Mail'

Shows how some of the ideas about the afterlife presented by spiritualism helped to shape popular Christianity in the period. From the moment of its arrival in Britain in 1852, modern spiritualism became hugely popular among all sections of society. As well as offering mysterious and entertaining seance phenomena, spiritualism was underpinned by a beliefthat the living could communicate with the departed and even come to know what life after death looked like. This book, offering the first detailed account of the theology of spiritualism, examines what happened when the Church of England, itself already grappling with questions about the nature of the afterlife, met with such a vibrant and confident presentation. Although this period saw a gradual liberalising in the Church's own theology of heavenand hell this was not communicated to the wider public as long as sermons and liturgy remained largely framed in traditional language. Over time spiritualism, already embedded in common culture, explicitly influenced the thinkingof some Anglican clergy and implicitly began to permeate and shape popular Christianity - to the extent that even some of spiritualism's harshest critics made use of its colourful imagery. This study sets one significant aspect ofChristian doctrine alongside an attractive alternative and provides a fascinating example of the 'negotiation of belief', the way in which, in the interface between Church and culture, religious belief came to be refreshed and redefined. GEORGINA BYRNE is an ordained Anglican priest and currently Director of Ordinands for the Diocese of Worcester and a Residentiary Canon at Worcester Cathedral.